Another polio case has emerged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province, bringing the total reported polio cases in the country to six since the beginning of this year.
As per the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Health, the recent case involves a nine-month-old child in Orakzai district, previously part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
He expressed concern over the confirmation of the poliovirus in 20 environmental samples from 12 districts across the country. This virus, he noted, has affected yet another child.
The spokesperson emphasized the heightened risk posed by this virus to children under the age of five and urged parents to ensure their children receive polio drops for protection against the disease.
Last week, on November 28, authorities in Sindh province launched a seven-day anti-polio campaign targeting more than 10 million children up to 5 years old. Sindh Caretaker Health Minister Dr Saad Khalid Niaz inaugurated the campaign by administering polio drops to children at a hospital in Karachi.
Over 80,000 polio workers and supervisors are actively involved in the campaign. More than 5,300 police personnel are deployed to ensure the security of the workers, with support from the Pakistan Rangers to provide additional security for the vaccinators.
Dr Niaz highlighted that two polio cases had been reported from Karachi this year, with recent environmental samples suggesting links to various parts of Afghanistan.
APP WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK
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